Scoundrel Days (Remastered Deluxe Edition) [Import]

a-ha | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 6, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Warner Bros UK
• ASIN: B003HGKJ3W
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,841 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Scoundrel Days

2. The Swing of Things

3. I've Been Losing You

4. October

5. Manhattan Skyline

6. Cry Wolf

7. We're Looking For the Whales

8. The Weight of the Wind

9. Maybe, Maybe

10. Soft Rains of April

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Scoundrel Days [Demo] [#][Demo Version]

2. The Swing of Things [Demo #3] [#][Demo Version]

3. I've Been Losing You [Octocon Studio Demo] [#][Demo Version]

4. October [Demo] [#][Demo Version]

5. Manhattan Skyline [Demo] [#][Demo Version]

6. Cry Wolf [Demo] [#][Demo Version]

7. We're Looking For the Whales [Demo] [#][Demo Version]

8. The Weight of the Wind [Demo] [#][Demo Version]

9. Maybe, Maybe [Demo] [#][Demo Version]

10. Soft Rains of April [Guitar Version] [#][Version]

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Very limited Digipack + slipcase packaging. Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition of the Norwegian trio's 1986 sophomore album, released to coincide with the band's farewell tour. A-Ha may have seemed to come out of nowhere when they released the worldwide hit 'Take On Me' in '85, but the band's roots stretched back to the early '80s. While the trio was unable to maintain a high profile in the U.S., they continued to record, tour and score hits for over two decades in Europe and Asia. While the band will take their final bow in 2010, their musical legacy will continue long after that last note has long faded away. Disc One features the original album plus three extended remixes. Disc Two contains 18 demos, alternate and live versions of the album's tracks. Rhino UK. 2010.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great second round for this album, August 13, 2010

By 

Jeff (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scoundrel Days (Remastered Deluxe Edition) (Audio CD)

I lost my extended 12" singles from this album years ago in a flood and it is so great to have them back with the addition of Manhattan Skyline. I hadn't heard that one yet and it alone was just about worth the price of this CD. What an amazing version. This is a great collection along with Hunting High and Low in remastered and extended form. It is really cool to see the thought process of the demo tracks and how they started out. This is really a must have for any A-ha fan for sure.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Album of all time...., July 26, 2010

By 

Lurke (NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scoundrel Days (Remastered Deluxe Edition) (Audio CD)

Now this Album is my favorite album of all time by a-ha because it is the first album I ever heard, I played the tape to death, it's probably saying "Thank god he's not playing me anymore" but I'm getting off topic. If you enjoyed this album before you will definately want to pick up this version there are nice bonuses on this one as well. Speaking as a Die-Hard a-ha fan, a-must-have. You won't be disappointed.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Band That Cried Wolf, October 1, 2010

By 

Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Scoundrel Days (Remastered Deluxe Edition) (Audio CD)

I have a feeling that the suits at Warner Brothers probably had to take some stomach settlers after A-Ha delivered "Scoundrel Days," their second album. "Where's the "Take on Me" hit," they probably whimpered? Because unlike the sugary Duran Duran pop that A-Ha's first big hit delivered, "Scoundrel Days" was dark, menacing pop, and while the video that made the band stars dressed them up as pretty boys, this album made them look thoughtful and more than a little dark.

That change-up was something I really enjoyed about this album. A-Ha may have come from a power-pop start, but they evolved quickly into a pop band with a dark center. Even with the crystalline falsetto of Morton Harkett, the band could not disguise the anguish of the title track or the atmospheric dread of "Cry Wolf."

They also sound more mature. "The Swing of Things" has smooth glide to it, and should have been the first single. "Soft Rains of April" is a gorgeous waltz that closes the album with a soft goodbye. I enjoyed the first a-ha album, but songs like the ones on "Scoundrel Days" made me a fan.

PS: The bonus tracks are OK; other than the live tracks on disc 2 and the extended versions on disc on, they're negligible. (Caveat; I'm not a big fan of demo-versions.)